the thin, sharp end of something such as a needle, pin, or pencil
Be careful—the point of the needle is very sharp.
The pencil’s point broke, so I had to sharpen it again.
a small round mark or dot used in writing or printing
Write a decimal with a point between the whole number and the fraction.
He ended the sentence with a point also called a period.
a unit used to count or keep score in games, tests, or competitions
Our team won by ten points.
Each correct answer gives you one point.
to show or direct attention to something by extending your finger or another object
The teacher pointed at the map to show the country.
Look, the baby is pointing at the airplane in the sky.
an idea, reason, or argument that someone makes in discussion
You make a good point about saving money.
Her main point was that exercise improves mood.
the purpose, use, or benefit of doing something
There’s no point in staying if you’re bored.
What’s the point of buying another car?
a particular moment or stage in time
At one point, the rain stopped completely.
She reached a point where she had to make a decision.
a particular place or position
From this point you can see the whole valley.
Meet me at the meeting point near the station.
to aim something such as a camera, gun, or light toward a target or direction
She pointed the camera at the sunset.
Don’t point the flashlight in my eyes!
to face or be directed toward a particular direction
The compass needle always points north.
All the chairs point toward the stage.
to choose someone officially for a job or position of responsibility
The board of directors appointed Maria as the new CEO.
The president appointed a panel of experts to investigate the issue.
✦ Middle English apointen, from Old French apointer ‘arrange, settle’, from a point ‘to a point’.
to decide on a time or place for something to happen
The ceremony was appointed for ten o’clock exactly.
The lawyer requested that a new date be appointed for the hearing.
✦ Same historical root as sense 1, with a specialized meaning of ‘assign to a specific time or place’.
Past tense and past participle of disappoint.
The sudden storm disappointed the hikers who hoped for clear skies.
Her careless comment deeply disappointed her friend.
a place on a road, border, or entrance where guards or police stop people and vehicles to examine documents, cargo, or identity
Cars lined up at the checkpoint where border guards inspected passports.
The soldiers waved us through the checkpoint after searching the trunk.
✦ Formed from check + point in early 20th-century military use for a place where inspections are made.
in a video game or computer program, a saved point that lets you start again from there instead of from the beginning
I sighed with relief when I reached the next checkpoint after a tough boss fight.
The program takes a checkpoint every hour to prevent data loss.
✦ Borrowed from the physical sense, first used in computing in the 1960s for automatic program save points.
